President Obama says issuing an executive order to shield young illegal immigrants from deportation was the right thing to do. His opponents call it an election-year ploy to solidify Latino support in swing states.

There’s truth in both statements. The fact that many people cannot admit as much says a lot about why the country is polarized, why Congress has been incapable of passing immigration reform — one that beefs up security while staking out a well-defined, deliberate path toward citizenship.

Here’s how we’d describe Obama’s approach: Given the circumstances, it’s reasonable and humane. It offers a ray of light for teens and young adults who were brought to the U.S. illegally, who probably had little option but to accompany relatives. For most of them, this is home; deporting them to their parents’ native land most likely would send them to an unknown place with no means of support.

Obama’s executive order doesn’t offer a path to citizenship. It shields from deportation those came here before their 16th birthday, and are under 31. They have to have been in the U.S. for five years, have no criminal record, graduated from high school or gotten an equivalency degree, or served in the military. The Department of Homeland Security says this could cover about 800,000 unregistered immigrants.

For Obama, this is a giant switcheroo. In his first three years, while reform bills went nowhere in Congress, his administration deported more than 1 million illegal immigrants.

And try to wrap your head around this: By invoking an executive power that will energize the Lou Dobbs, anti-reform crowd, Obama is acting unilaterally to do what former President George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain tried and failed to do — get Congress to deal realistically with the problems of hosting 11 million illegal immigrants.

This isn’t reform, but it will allow many young people to move ahead with their lives without the fear of deportation. Prosecutors will be able to focus their attention on serious crimes, rather than spending millions of taxpayer dollars each year to charge, process and imprison illegal immigrants.

This makes sense economically, too. Many businesses are dependent on the labor immigrants provide. Under this executive order, they’ll be able to apply for two-year, renewable work permits. Those already on an education or military track will be able to continue mapping out a future.

The downside is that an executive order can be undone by a subsequent president. Those who come forward now might fear they’re targeting themselves for deportation later. Republican candidate Mitt Romney mentioned that possibility in criticizing Obama’s order, even as he was vague in saying what he would do. Romney has aligned with the most ardent critics of reform, including endorsing Arizona’s crackdown.

Partisans in Congress aren’t going to touch immigration this year, other than to indulge in opportunities to claim the other side is the obstructionist. Legislative reform is still the best way forward. Obama didn’t make any headway in that regard, but he cracked open the door for those who want to take an above-board approach to residency, responsibility and, perhaps, citizenship.